


Kiss Me on Prom Night

by matteahayn



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Angsty Buffy, F/F, F/M, First Kiss, Good Hair Crew, Love Confessions, M/M, Multi, Pansexual Andi Mack, Prom Night fic, Prom kings, Senior year
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:47:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25208707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/matteahayn/pseuds/matteahayn
Summary: Self-indulgent Tyrus/Muffy/Ambi prom night fic. If you liked Leah on the Offbeat you'll definitely like this : )It's a little long but definitely worth it.
Relationships: Amber/Andi Mack, Buffy Driscoll/Marty, Cyrus Goodman/T. J. Kippen
Comments: 10
Kudos: 39





	Kiss Me on Prom Night

“Andi, hurry up!” Bex called out to her daughter from the living room. Taking a deep breath, Andi hesitantly turned the door handle and made her way on shaky legs down the hall. Cameras started flashing as soon as she came into view.   
“Stop it,” she laughed, holding her hands to her face to keep from being blinded. Bowie put down his phone, but there was a pouty look on his face.   
“You look so beautiful,” he breathed. Andi blushed at the wonder in his eyes.   
“Show us the dress!” Bex requested, coming to stand behind her husband. She placed her hand on his shoulder.   
“You already saw it when we bought it!” Andi reminded her. Her mom just gave her a sarcastic look.   
“Does that matter?” Bex asked.   
“I guess not,” Andi shrugged. Obligingly, she spun around the tiny living room. The skirt of the dress flared out, displaying the flowery pattern. Her parents ooohed and ahhed.   
“We need to take a video for Celia,” Bowie said suddenly.   
“Great idea!” Bex gasped. Andi was about to protest, but her mom came and started spinning her around again while Bowie snapped a few shots. They were all giggling when there was a knock at the door. They all paused to look at each other for a moment before Bowie reached over and pushed the handle.   
Andi squealed when she saw her two best friends standing there. They all ran towards each other, giddy with excitement.   
“You guys look amazing!” Andi grinned when they broke apart. Cyrus was wearing white pants and a light pink jacket with tiny polka dots. Buffy was wearing a short yellow spaghetti-strap dress that greatly complemented her skin tone.   
“Oh my gosh, you do too,” Buffy insisted. Cyrus nodded in agreement.   
“Amber doesn’t know what she’s missing,” he blurted. Andi’s face went beet red.   
“Shhhhhh,” Andi reminded him. She loved her best friend, but he was horrible at keeping secrets. The only people who knew about her crush on the blonde girl were in the room, and she wanted to keep it like that for now.   
After several rounds of photos, the Good Hair Crew was getting anxious to actually get to the dance.   
“We should go,” Andi told her parents. They looked at each other for a second before wrapping their girl in a huge hug. Andi knew there was no point in resisting, so she tried to enjoy the moment until Bex broke away. Bowie, however, held Andi’s hand in his. He had tears in his eyes when he looked down at her.   
“My baby’s girl prom night,” he whimpered. Andi’s heart contracted even though she wasn’t normally one for sappiness.   
“Oh, Dad,” she smiled sadly. She looked over at her friends, waiting for their encouragement. Their expressions were understanding, so she laid her head on Bowie’s shoulder. “I love you,” she whispered.   
“I love you too,” he whispered back. “I don’t want to say goodbye,” he whined a little louder. He broke away from Andi but kept her gaze. “Thankfully, I’m also the chauffeur.” Andi groaned as he hopped around her to hold open the front door. “Your chariot awaits,” he flounced, gesturing Andi, Cyrus, and Buffy out the door. 

Buffy wrung her hands nervously in the backseat of Bowie’s truck as they pulled up in front of the high school. Sensing her apprehension even in the dark, Cyrus reached over and placed his palm gently on hers. She smiled at him gratefully as they slowed to a crawl.   
“I think that’s them,” Andi said, pointing at a few blurred figures in the distance. Bowie pulled up to the curb next to their dates. He turned on the car light and twisted around to look at Buffy and Cyrus.   
“Have a fun time, okay? Keep each other safe,” he requested. They all nodded in agreement. That, at least, would be easy to do.   
“Bye, Dad,” Andi said sarcastically, already pushing open the passenger door.   
“Thanks for the ride,” Cyrus added. He went to follow Andi but his door was already being pulled open by a familiar face.   
“Hey,” TJ breathed when he caught Cyrus’s eyes. The boyfriends stared at each other for a moment, taking in each other’s matching baby pink ensemble (TJ was wearing a tie to match Cyrus’s jacket.)   
“Hey,” Cyrus beamed back as TJ helped him onto the sidewalk. Buffy rolled her eyes as she slid behind her friend. Those two were so in love it was disgusting sometimes. Bowie’s truck rolled away when she stumbled forward. She blinked, adjusting to the darkness. She looked around for her date but instead saw that her friends were waiting for her at the start of the pathway. She rushed forward to catch up.   
“Isn’t Marty here yet?” she asked. Her boyfriend had agreed to meet her in front of the school, but she didn’t see him anywhere. She tried to play it nonchalantly, but they all looked at her in concern.   
“I haven’t seen him,” TJ said apologetically. Weirdly, he was probably the closest with Marty out of all of them now.   
“I’m sure he’ll be here soon,” Jonah put in hopefully from next to Andi. Buffy nodded, trying to convince herself that was true.   
“Let’s head in,” Cyrus suggested. “Maybe he’s already in there.” Buffy highly doubted that was true, but she swallowed her resentment and smiled.   
TJ and Cyrus took each other’s hands and Jonah offered his arm to Andi. TJ and Jonah may have one brain cell between the two of them, but at least they were gentlemen. Buffy followed all of them down the path towards the front door, feeling very much like a fifth wheel even though Andi and Jonah weren’t dating. Buffy still couldn’t believe he had come up with the idea to ask Andi as a friend all on his own. Since Andi went to SAVA, she had to go as someone’s date, and since Jonah didn’t have one it worked out.   
Once they made it into the school and got signed in, they stood in front of the gym doors. Buffy took a deep breath before taking the plunge behind her friends.   
The gym was magical, all silk and chandeliers and sweet-smelling food. However, for Buffy, it was all painted a sick shade of gray. She took several moments to scan the crowd for Marty, but of course, he was nowhere to be seen. Before she could sit down to stop herself from getting dizzy, she felt someone gently take her handbag from her and lead her towards the edge of the gym.   
“Hey,” Cyrus said, understanding but forceful. He placed his hands on her shoulder and turned her so she was facing him. “He’ll be here, okay?” he assured her. Buffy couldn’t help but feel hopeful by the surety in his eyes. His tone was similar to the many times in 8th grade that Buffy had assured him that TJ would come around eventually, and that had turned really well. She let out a deep breath, relaxing under the care of her closest friend. Cyrus dropped his grip and smiled at her. “Come have some fun okay?” he pleaded. She understood the implications underneath the words- don’t worry about it. A part of her couldn’t let it go so easily though.   
“Give me a minute,” she asked. He looked at her curiously but then gave her a curt nod.   
“One minute,” he agreed, before turning away and going to join his boyfriend on the dance floor.   
Hey, are you on your way?  
Buffy texted, before forcing herself to toss her phone in her bag and shove it under the seat where she couldn’t see it.   
She drudged through the next half of an hour, checking the door every few seconds. She was sure her friends were annoyed, but they were either too caught up in their own enjoyment or too sympathetic to bring it up. A slow song started, and Buffy extricated herself from the couples. She made her way across the dance floor and plopped herself down at the table. After collecting herself, she got up to get some punch when her feet collided with something hard and her bag skittered out from beneath the chair. Sighing, she leaned over to pick it up and unclasp it. She hesitated before reaching for her phone. Was it really worth it to see if he had responded? She reminded herself that it could be good news.   
Like she was reaching in a bag of snakes, Buffy slid her hand in and pulled her phone out. She couldn’t hide her grimace when she saw that there were no messages. He hadn’t even read the one she had sent. Even though she had spent her whole life trying to protect herself from getting hurt, she had let her guard down the past couple of months and it had come back to bite her like it always did. She felt tears begin to sting her eyes and panic started rising in her chest. Before anyone could see her crying, she threw her bag onto the table and made a beeline for the bathroom. This was exactly why she didn’t want to deal with prom in the first place. It always ended in disappointment. But she had let herself be convinced that it would be fun. After all, what was the point of having a boyfriend for four years if he didn’t show up on the most important night? She had to restrain herself from screaming at the thought. Just as she was almost out of the gym doors and to freedom, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She whipped around, trying to soothe the pain on her face.   
“Hey,” smiled Jonah. “Do you want to dance?” he asked awkwardly. Buffy was so caught off guard by this act of kindness that she nodded her head.   
“Ummm...yeah?” she replied, blinking back her tears. She let Jonah lead her to the middle of the dance floor. He wrapped his arm around her and took her hand, leaving a friendly amount of space between them. Under his lead, they began to sway.   
“I, uh, I’m sorry if this is awkward,” Jonah stumbled. “I’m sure I’m the last person you expected to ask you to dance.” Buffy laughed despite herself, enjoying seeing Jonah Beck flounder for once.   
“That’s true,” she agreed, “but I’m glad you did.” Jonah’s shoulders slumped in relief.   
“You just...seemed like you needed a friend,” Jonah observed, slowly catching on in typical Jonah fashion to the darkness underlying Buffy’s expression. His eyes hardened when he saw pain flash across her face. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked hesitantly. Buffy immediately shook her head.   
“No, no,” she insisted. “This is enough.”   
Jonah nodded as they relaxed further into the music.   
“You were by yourself too?” Buffy realized after a moment. Jonah nodded his head. “That must be new for you,” she snorted, unable to stop her derisiveness even in this moment of camaraderie. Jonah had taken a date to every dance before this. He had had several girlfriends in high school, but none of them, Buffy thought a little cruelly, had stuck with him for as long as Andi had.   
“Yeah, it is,” Jonah admitted. “But I actually don’t mind being single.” Buffy had to admit that especially at this moment, being free from relationship drama sounded pretty great. Of all her friends, though, she had probably had the least dramatic romance arc, so she supposed it was her turn. She looked around for the rest of her crew as she and Jonah continued to sway. She spotted Cyrus a few feet away, chest to chest with TJ, and she had to resist the urge to gag at the expression on their faces. If she had known she was going to be subject to a lifetime of sappiness between them, she wouldn’t have introduced them at all. Okay, well, maybe not, because it made her happy to see Cyrus so happy. She smiled softly as she scanned for her other best friend, but she didn’t see her anywhere.   
“Do you know where Andi went?” she asked Jonah.   
“Hmmm?” he mumbled, looking up in surprise. Obviously, he had been lost in a train of thought as well. “Oh, she left a few minutes ago. Seemed in a hurry to get somewhere,” he explained. Buffy’s eyebrows narrowed in suspicion. That was odd. Andi never went anywhere without her or Cyrus, especially not without mentioning it to them first. She tried to shake off the funny feeling inside of her as she finished the song. Jonah didn’t even seem phased, but Buffy was no longer thinking about being sad. 

Cyrus was on cloud ten. The night had been perfect so far: from the pride on Bowie’s face when he said goodbye to Andi, to the way TJ’s outfit had taken his breath away, to the way his boyfriend was now holding him tightly in his arms. If anyone would have told him four years ago that he would be slow dancing with the cutest, most popular boy in school, he would’ve assumed they were pranking him. That was his reality, though. It had been a long road navigating this relationship, but if it all led up to just this moment, it would have been worth it. He looked up at his boyfriend to see he was already smiling down at him. Cyrus blushed profusely. How did TJ still make his heart race?   
The song ended and couples started to split away again. Cyrus had so much energy still he didn’t know what to do with it.   
“I’ll go get some punch?” Cyrus offered. He stepped back but still held his boyfriend’s hands. They had just been dancing without an inch of space between them, but somehow this felt much more intimate. It was still scary to show affection sometimes in public, and they definitely had to get used to some stares, but for the most part, their classmates were supportive.   
“Okay,” TJ grinned, dropping Cyrus’s hands. Cyrus fought against the longing in his chest and turned away from him. He marched across the room, determined to get back to the other boy as soon as possible.   
Once he had the glasses of punch balanced in his hands, he turned around. Immediately, his chest fell when he saw TJ chatting with a few of his basketball friends in the center of the dance floor where he had left him. It wasn’t that Cyrus was jealous, he knew that TJ loved him, but it still made him anxious that his boyfriend was so popular. In a flash, the one thing that had been nagging at him all night struck him in a flash. He was worried about the outcome of prom king, which was really a glorified popularity contest. Cyrus knew rationally that the outcome didn’t really matter- it was an antiquated, heteronormative, easily forgotten tradition- but he didn’t think he could stomach the idea of TJ dancing with some equally popular queen bee if he won. Obviously he would still be extremely happy for TJ if he won, which was likely, but he didn’t want it to ruin his night so he had pushed it down until now. He knew the final vote was going to be soon though, so he couldn’t ignore it anymore.   
As if his thoughts had summoned the inevitable, the DJ turned down the music and got on the mic.   
“I’m told it’s time to hear from our prom king nominees,” he announced. There were cheers from the crowd. Before Cyrus could find his way back to his boyfriend, TJ was pushed up onto the stage with the four other boys also vying for the vote. Cyrus blocked out the speeches for the most part. TJ was last in the lineup. He was looking down at the ground nervously, trying to come up with something to say. It was kind of funny; TJ was the most confident person Cyrus knew, but he was absolutely horrible at public speaking. If he spoke from his heart though, Cyrus knew the crowd would fall in love. Especially compared to the abysmal words of the other goons. They all pretty much said the same thing (“Vote for me, I’m the best!”), relying more on their mediocre facial structures than substance. The speeches went quickly, and it was soon TJ’s turn.   
The energy seemed to change as soon as TJ was handed the mic. He almost dropped it because his hands were shaking so badly.   
“Ummm…” he cleared his throat. Cyrus tried not to wince out of second-hand embarrassment. “I don’t really know why I was voted. I don’t feel like I did anything to earn it,” TJ said bluntly. The crowd looked at each other in surprise. Cyrus huffed in disagreement. In his opinion, TJ was the only one up there who was worthy of it. The fact that he was up here thinking otherwise proved that. TJ’s eyes widened as he took in the reactions of the crowd. It seemed like the first time he noticed they were all there. Suddenly, his eyes caught Cyrus’s, and he visibly relaxed. Even in the darkness and from a distance, Cyrus saw TJ’s eyes light up with encouragement. “If you guys are going to vote for me, vote for my boyfriend Cyrus Goodman too.” He paused for a minute, seeming to have surprised even himself with the words. Cyrus nearly dropped the punch. This was unprecedented- he didn’t know of a time something like this had happened at this school. It felt like he was living in a film for a minute. He resisted the urge to pinch himself to make it sure it was really happening to him. TJ smiled at his boyfriend’s wide-eyed expression, and he kept eye contact as he said the next words so there was no question they were for Cyrus. “He’s the one who really deserves it,” TJ said. He handed the DJ the mic and sauntered off the stage right to Cyrus, never looking back. Cyrus held out the punch, still frozen in place.   
“Thank you,” TJ sighed, taking it from his hands, but there was no competition who had done the biggest favor that night. 

Andi was having the best time with her friends. Buffy seemed a little sultry, but she wasn’t a dance person in the first place. Cyrus had relentless energy, bopping back forth between Andi and Buffy and TJ. At one point Andi and his favorite song had come on, and they had jumped and screamed so hard that they had to take a water break. She was grateful Jonah had asked her to come, and if pressed she would say that he was being the perfect date. He was chivalrous and polite and had actually taken time to learn how to slow dance, but there was no heat or passion like Andi had always imagined for her prom night. She couldn’t help imagining a certain blonde girl in her arms, however unrealistic that might be. She had been trying to get Amber’s attention all night, so she couldn’t quite believe it when she felt a brush against her shoulder and turned to see her crush walking by. Andi didn’t think Amber had noticed her, but the blonde girl turned around and smiled, walking backward tauntingly. She flipped around eventually though, and Andi was about to convince herself there was no way Amber had been looking at her when she glanced back over her shoulder and made direct eye contact with Andi before slipping out the door. Her message was clear- Andi needed to come find her.   
Her heart racing, Andi turned back to Cyrus. She realized she had dropped his hands in the shuffle, breaking their form. Cyrus must have been watching what Andi was looking at because there was a look of understanding on his face that only came from your best friend when your crush was around.   
“I should go-” she started, but Cyrus cut her off.   
“I know,” he said with a smile. Andi sighed in relief that she didn’t have to justify her urge to him. She thanked the universe as a slow song came on and TJ grabbed Cyrus. They fell into each other’s arms and Cyrus was gone. Andi really didn’t need to worry about him.   
She made a beeline for the exit. She was just out the doors when she felt someone behind her.   
“Andi?” Jonah asked. Andi barely looked back to register his confused expression.   
“I have to go do something,” she explained apologetically. “I’ll be right back.”   
“Oh, okay,” Jonah smiled to hide his disappointment. Andi felt bad for leaving him here by himself, but she also knew what her friends would tell her to do. She spun back around and made it out into the hall just in time to see Amber’s blonde head slip out of the front door. As gracefully as she could in heels, Andi rushed to follow her.   
Amber was sitting on a bench at the bottom of a hill in front of the building. Andi paused to smooth out her dress and catch her breath before walking down to meet her.   
“Hey,” she breathed when she stood next to the bench.   
“Hey,” Amber smiled softly back. She turned to look at Andi and her eyes were alight. They slid to the empty spot next to her, so Andi supposed it was for her.   
“You look amazing,” Andi said as she settled herself on the bench. Amber was wearing a tight red skirt, a black cropped top, and a red leather jacket. It definitely wasn’t a traditional prom outfit, but it suited her all the same.   
“You look better,” Amber grinned. Andi had to turn away to hide her blush. Everything Amber said felt like she was teasing Andi. It wasn’t quite fair that she made Andi’s heart race so much without even knowing it. Because it had to just be Amber’s flirtatious nature, right? She couldn’t actually know how Andi felt about her. “Are you having fun?” Amber asked. Andi looked up in relief, grateful for the change of subject.   
“Yeah,” she said, but she could hear how disingenuous it sounded. Amber gave her a skeptical look. “Okay, not completely,” Andi admitted with a sigh. Thankfully, Amber didn’t ask why. “Are you?” Andi asked her.   
“Not really,” Amber grimaced. Andi tilted her head back in surprise. Amber had so many friends, and she thrived at parties. She could’ve taken any guy she wanted. She should’ve been having the time of her life! Instead, she was out here in the breezy night air with Andi listening to her pity story. Reading Andi’s expression, Amber leaned in and whispered a confession. “The person I wanted to come with already had a date,” she explained. Her eyes locked on to Andi like she was begging her to understand. Andi’s heart started pounding even faster than before. Who could Amber be talking about?   
“I’m sorry,” Andi finally spat out. She didn’t understand why the universe felt fit to torture her like this. “Unreciprocated feelings are the worst,” she added, surprising herself. She wished she hadn’t said those words as soon as they were out of her mouth because she started blushing again. Amber paused quizically for a minute but didn’t comment on it.   
“Don’t you want to know who I like?” Amber prompted playfully. Andi had to resist the urge to groan. Was this why Amber had drawn her out here? To exchange boy drama? Andi didn’t have the heart to tell her that she didn’t think she could stomach the idea of that.   
“Ummm, sure,” Andi mumbled, doing her best to force a smile.   
“Okay… I’ll give you a hint,” Amber said. For some reason, she paused for a minute like she was growing shy. After a minute, she said, “I’ve known them since middle school. We…. used to not get along, but now we’re pretty close.”   
Andi wracked her brain to think of anyone Amber was close to now that she didn’t like in middle school. It embarrassed her to realize she didn’t really know who Amber hung out with anymore besides their group sometimes. For a millisecond, Andi thought she was talking about someone in their crew, but she brushed the idea aside. The only single guy in their group was Jonah and Andi severely hoped Amber didn’t still have feelings for him.   
“I guess I don’t really know your friends. Is it someone I know?” Andi stumbled.   
“I’d say you know them really well,” Amber smirked. Andi’s face fell. So she still did like Jonah. She was probably jealous of Andi for coming with him. Well, if it was gonna be like that, she could have him. Better to know now and not waste any more time entertaining the most pointless crush of her life.   
“I only have one single guy friend I’m close to,” Andi thought out loud. “So if this is about Jonah, you can have him.” She stood up to leave when she felt Amber’s delicate hand on her back.   
“Andi,” Amber breathed. Andi’s constricted at the way she said her name. Turning back to see the agonized expression on Amber’s face, Andi’s own hurt dissipated. “I never said it was a guy,” Amber blurted. Andi nearly face-planted on the sidewalk in surprise. She sat back down on the bench to steady herself and to give herself time to process this information before responding.   
“Oh,” she gulped, still unable to look Amber in the eyes.   
“Is that awkward to admit that I think I like girls?” Amber asked. There was a brief pause and then she chuckled awkwardly. “God, that feels weird to say out loud.”   
“I know,” Andi agreed automatically to the second comment, thinking about the first times she had come out to her friends.   
“You do?” Amber looked at her surprise. Andi had assumed Amber knew she was pan, but now that she thought about it they had never talked about it. Mostly because Andi was scared that Amber would figure out that she was the one that made Andi realize it.   
“Yeah, I’m uh, Pandi Mack,” she quipped. She realized what she said a second too late and gasped. What an awful time for Cyrus’s stupid nickname for her to slip out.   
“Pandi Mack?” Amber repeated incredulously between giggles.   
“That’s what Cyrus calls me,” Andi explained... “I’m sorry that it slipped out,” she added, trying to brush off her embarrassment.   
“No, it was cute,” Amber’s grin widened. Andi blushed profusely as Amber’s giggles fell away and her face grew much serious. She bit her lip and a wonderful, awful realization hit Andi.   
“So.. the girl you like….” Andi searched for confirmation for her suspicions.   
“It’s you,” Amber choked out, answering her unasked question.   
“Oh,” Andi breathed. Her mouth and eyes widened in understanding.   
“I really like you, Andi,” Amber said hesitantly. “You don’t have to say it back,” she added when she saw the panic on Andi’s face.   
How was Andi supposed to respond to that? She was still in shock- there was no way she could sum up her feelings about Amber right now.   
“Amber,” she gasped, taking her hand. They both looked down at their intertwined fingers and then back at each other. Amber smiled in relief when she read everything on Andi’s face that she couldn’t say out loud. As if she had been waiting for this moment for a long time and couldn’t stand it any longer, Amber reached for Andi’s cheek with her free hand and drew her closer. Andi barely had time to close her eyes before Amber’s lips were on hers. She only panicked for a second before relaxing into it. She placed her free hand on Amber’s shoulder, stroking the leather of her jacket. Everything smelled and tasted like vanilla. If this was what kissing girls was like, boy did it feel good.   
They broke apart gently. Amber’s eyelashes fluttered rapidly as they both let out a sigh of relief. Smiling dopily at each other, they were about to go in for another kiss when there was a noise behind them. 

As soon as the song ended, Buffy sprung from Jonah’s arms.   
“I need to go find Andi,” she insisted.   
“Oh, okay,” Jonah said, surprised by her urgency. She started to walk away but realized how tactless she was being.   
“Thanks for the dance,” she called back. Vaguely, she heard Jonah murmur something in response behind her.   
Buffy scoured the hallways, the bathroom, and the commons, but Andi must not have been inside the building. Bracing herself for the night chill, Buffy pushed open the front doors and stepped out into the courtyard.   
“Andi?” she called, making her way towards a clump of trees in the distance. She was so focused on finding her friend that she startled when she heard someone behind her.   
“Buffy?” the familiar voice said. Buffy whipped around to see Marty standing there on the front steps in a freshly tailored suit.   
“Marty? You came?” Buffy gaped in surprise.   
“Yeah, I’m sorry I’m so late,” he apologized awkwardly. The pain from just a little earlier came swinging back at Buffy, and anger overrode her shock.   
“You stood me up on the night of senior prom, and all you can say is sorry?” She stepped forward so they were standing toe to toe as if she were challenging him.   
“I know, I feel terrible,” Marty’s voice shook. “But I’ll say it again: I’m so sorry. My grandma was in the hospital. I tried to get away as soon as possible.” The look in his eyes was so genuinely anguished that Buffy knew she couldn’t be upset at him anymore. In fact, she felt as if she herself were about to cry for him.   
“Marty… I didn’t realize…” Buffy sympathized, taking his hands in hers. She felt like the jerk now for ruining everyone’s night when it wasn’t even Marty’s fault he hadn’t shown up until now.   
“It’s okay,” Marty assured her, sensing the apology on her face. Gracefully, he reached up and placed his thumb on his girlfriend’s cheek. “I’m here now. That’s what counts, right?” he asked. Begrudgingly, Buffy nodded, reaching out to him for a hug. He wrapped her tightly in his arms, not wanting to lose her now that he was finally by her side. “I love you, Buffy,” he whispered after a moment. “I would never do anything to hurt you on purpose.” Buffy stiffened at these words and lifted her head up to look at him.   
“What did you say?” she asked hesitantly, not quite wanting to process them.   
“I would never do anything I knew would hurt you,” he replied, completely avoiding the point.   
“No, before that,” Buffy prompted. She had to know she wasn’t just imagining it.   
“I love you?” Marty asked. Buffy nodded and realization struck his face. “Is that the first time I’ve said it?” Buffy nodded again, and Marty dropped his arms to pinch his nose out of frustration at himself. “Well, I do love you, Buffy. I should’ve said it a long time ago.”   
“Oh,” Buffy breathed again. She willed herself not to freeze up at his vulnerability. She looked up at his waiting face and knew she needed to respond. Before she could lose her nerve, she spat out, “I love you too.”   
They stared at each other for a long moment. They knew how big of a deal it was that Buffy admitted that, even if it did take four years. Unable to stand it any longer, they both jumped in for a kiss. It was a long, hot kiss. Buffy could practically feel all of her resentment escaping. She registered after a moment that the front doors had opened and she tried not to be embarrassed when she heard someone speak out to them.   
“Ummm.. guys?” the voice said. Buffy pried herself from Marty and relaxed when she saw it was just Cyrus. He was standing there a little flustered and perturbed, but to be fair, Buffy hadn’t realized they were standing right in front of the doors.   
“Hi Cyrus,” Buffy smiled as if she had been caught doing something much worse than kissing her boyfriend. “Marty made it,” she pointed out unhelpfully.   
“I see that,” Cyrus raised his eyebrows in amusement.   
“Where’s TJ?” Marty asked him, and Cyrus and Buffy both rolled their eyes. Their boyfriends had a bromance that none of them understood.   
“He’s inside. He’s probably waiting for you,” Cyrus sighed. Marty smiled excitedly. He gave Buffy one last peck on the lips before brushing past Cyrus and in through the doors.   
“Where’s Andi?” Cyrus asked. Buffy shrugged.   
“I don’t know,” she admitted, realizing that she had forgotten why she had come out here in the first place.   
“I think she was looking for Amber…” Cyrus remembered suddenly. They looked at each other in realization. There was only one spot to sit out here, especially if you wanted to be alone. Without speaking, they crept up to the copse of trees on the edge of the lawn. Peeking around the thick trunks, they could overlook the hill with the crew’s bench at the bottom. Buffy squinted, making out the image of two figures huddled very close together. She looked over at Cyrus and could tell by the look on his face that he saw it too.   
“Do we go down there?” Cyrus asked.   
“I don’t think we have much of a choice,” Buffy shot back. Cyrus nodded, stepping around the tree. They made their way shoulder to shoulder down the hill, creating a lot more noise than they intended.   
“Hey guys,” Andi said suspiciously when they stood behind the bench. She and Amber were spun around to face them, their faces glowing. Buffy and Cyrus looked at each other in puzzlement. What exactly had happened down here?   
“Andi,” Buffy said suddenly. “You weren’t wearing lipstick earlier, were you?”   
“What?” Andi gasped, obviously trying to cover something up. She started wiping at her mouth, looking over at Amber desperately. Of course. Amber’s lipstick was disheveled too. Cyrus looked back and forth between the two girls on the bench, realization dawning. He smirked, and when he side-eyed Buffy she caught on too. Andi saw their mischievous glances and pleaded them not to make it a big deal.   
“We should all go back up to the gym,” Cyrus suggested, complying with Andi’s request. “They’re voting for prom king. I, uh, might be on the ballot.”   
“What?” Andi gasped, standing up. Buffy’s head whipped around to stare at him. She didn’t know about this development either. “It seems like I missed a lot,” Andi observed. She came to stand next to him.   
“Nah,” he replied when Amber followed Andi, taking her hand. “It seems like whatever happened down here was just as interesting.”   
Andi just laughed and nudged him slightly as the four of them made their way back up the hill. 

About half an hour later, they all stood in the middle of the gym, dancing only half-heartedly because they were talking. Even Cyrus was starting to lose his steam, although he knew the night was far from finished. Prom king was supposed to be announced at any moment, and the pit in his stomach was growing wider by the second.   
Sensing his apprehension, TJ took Cyrus’s hands and pulled him off to the corner of the gym.   
“It’s not too late for us to back out,” TJ offered. Cyrus’s breath caught on the casual use of the word ‘us’.   
“No, it’s okay,” Cyrus insisted, shaking his head. Even though TJ had said it like it wouldn’t be a great sacrifice, Cyrus didn’t want him to miss out on this opportunity. “I’m excited for you to win.”   
“For us to win,” TJ corrected immediately, taking Cyrus’s hand. “I already told you- if they pick me and not you, I’m not accepting it.” Cyrus smiled despite his boyfriend’s obstinance. He thought TJ was making a huge mistake- there was no way they were going to pick Cyrus over TJ- but it still made him feel so lucky to know that TJ would do something like this for him.   
“I love you,” Cyrus breathed. It was his go-to phrase when he didn’t know how to respond to his boyfriend’s gestures.   
“I love you too,” TJ grinned. He leaned down and kissed Cyrus, long and slow and passionate. No one was watching, so Cyrus didn’t protest. Not that he would’ve anyway, because he could never refuse a kiss from T.J. Kippen.   
TJ slowly broke away and wrapped his arm around Cyrus. He led him back to their friends not a moment too soon because just then the DJ got back on the mic.   
“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for.” His voice boomed throughout the gym. Cheers of excitement rippled through the room. “It’s time to announce your prom king!” There was a pause as someone handed him an envelope. Cyrus reached for Buffy’s hand and she clasped it. He felt suddenly at peace with TJ wrapped around one side and Buffy giving him strength on the other. The DJ looked up in surprise once he had opened and read what was in the envelope. A smile broke out on his face. “For the first time in Shadyside High School history, we had a tie for prom king.” He paused for dramatic effect, but it wasn’t long enough for Cyrus to prepare himself what he said next. “Will T.J. Kippen and Cyrus Goodman come up and share a dance?”   
Cyrus stood there stunned for a minute. He registered that everyone was cheering his name. He felt someone push him forward and into TJ.   
“Go,” Buffy urged him, her face equally as shocked. He looked back once to smile at her before taking TJ’s hand and following him up to stage on shaky legs.   
The music slowed as they came to the center of the stage. TJ wrapped his arm around Cyrus, pulling him close.   
“This is because of you,” the tall boy whispered. Cyrus flushed and glanced down at the eager faces below. He could debate whether that was true, but for now, he just wanted to enjoy the moment. Cyrus was so lost in TJ’s eyes that it took him a moment to realize that someone had placed a crown on his boyfriend’s head. A lady stood there with a tiara in her hand, looking very confused. Without hesitation, TJ moved the crown from his head to Cyrus’s and plopped the tiara on. Cyrus looked at him in wonder as the women backed away, overwhelmed with appreciation. His and TJ’s eyes locked, and they knew what had to happen next without speaking.   
Despite the brightness of the spotlights, the gazes of their entire school, and the fear that this would all disappear any second, their lips met. Cyrus leaned into the kiss, reveling in the warmth bursting out of his chest. For at least this once, he thought, let them stare and see how much he adored his boyfriend. Cyrus finally let himself believe that he deserved this and that he should prepare for a lifetime of moments like these because he was never going to get tired of kissing T.J. Kippen.   
They broke apart to massive cheers from the crowd. Cyrus’s heart swelled to see how much support he had from his classmates. TJ breathed in relief as he leaned down to rest his forehead on Cyrus’s. Cyrus closed his eyes and pressed closer to his boyfriend, soaking up every last second of this fairytale moment he could get.

**Author's Note:**

> Heehee thanks for reading to the end!! I hope you liked it! 
> 
> Gays love benches don't they?? ; )
> 
> This is probably my favorite thing I've ever written even though it took a very long time.


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